Deep-fried and shaped into a semi-circular dumpling, filled with delicious and sweet batter, yes, we are referring to our beloved — gujiya.

With Holi just around the corner, here are some theories that explore the origins of this festive delight.

One of the most mind-boggling theories suggests that the delicacy has a Turkish connection. It is assumed that gujiya may have been derived from Turkey’s baklava — a layered, buttery, flaky dessert soaked in honey and sugar.

The puffy pastry is filled with tender pistachios between layers of dough. The sweet dish was considered a dish for the wealthy and the Turks considered it a special gift. Another theory suggests that it might be a sweet replica of the famous samosa. These stuffed triangular snacks reached India through the Middle East.

When you look at the moon-shaped dumplings, both theories seem correct. And just like the theories, the sweet dish keeps adorning different shapes and names all over India. In Bihar, it’s known as pedakiya, ghughra in Gujarat, karanji in Maharashtra, somas in Tamil Nadu, garijalu in Telangana, kajjikayalu in Andhra Pradesh, and karjikayi or karigadubu in Karnataka.

While everyone has their own twist to gujiya’s recipe, here is a simple one that even new cooks can follow!

Gujiya Recipe Ingredients: Khoya crumbled – 2/3 cup Refined flour – 1 cup Ghee – 3 tsp Dried figs chopped – 1/2 cup Seedless dates chopped – 1/2 cup Cashewnuts chopped – 10 Almonds chopped – 10 Walnuts chopped – 10 Oil to deep fry

To prepare the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub in the ghee until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Then, knead until you have a stiff dough. Cover it with a damp muslin cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.

To make the filling, saute the khoya in a pan for 3 minutes till the fat separates. Add the figs, dates, cashew nuts, almonds, and walnuts to the mixture once it cools down.

Divide the dough into twelve equal portions and shape it into circular balls. Flatten these balls using a rolling pin and board. Put stuffing on half of the flattened dough, moisten edges, fold over, seal, and pinch for design. 

Fry a few gujiyas at a time until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pan, drain excess oil on paper towels, and store in an airtight container once cooled.